a. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to the field of mobility assisting devices useful to assist persons in walking. It often occurs that persons who suffer either permanent or temporary disability relative to their ability to walk. Knee injuries, broken legs, various sprains, torn ligaments and advancing age all add to the need, either temporary or permanent, for a device to assist in maintaining an upright position to perambulate. Ideally, such devices will be sturdy, lightweight, comfortable to use, and multi-functional.
More precisely, the present invention relates to the field of devices such as canes, multi-legged walkers, and walking staffs utilized by the infirm to assist in walking.
In point of yet more precision and particularity, the present invention relates to the field of two-legged walkers utilized by the infirm to assist in walking.
b. Description of the Prior Art
There are several two-legged walkers in common usage by the infirm to assist in standing upright and walking. Such devices are commonly used by persons with either a permanent or temporary disability such as a knee injury, an ankle injury, a foot injury, a broken leg, a torn ligament, or simple infirmity due to advancing age. Two-legged walkers, by virtue of providing a minimum of two points of support on the ground surface to the person using the walker, are by their nature more stable and supporting than a single cane or crutch. Two-legged walkers may be supported by either the user""s hand or under the user""s arms, or both, they may be rigid or jointed to mimic and support the walking function of the user, or capable of multiple modes of use, they may be, and most are, adjustable in their dimensions to fit the user""s height and needs, but none are hand supported, jointed, dimensionally adjustable, capable of multiple modes of use, and adjustable to support use on stairs. The prior art cited below is the most relevant prior art known to applicant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,719 teaches a two-legged walking aid in the form of a crutch having right and left leg members and a horizontal cross-body member. The device taught by this patent provides protruding horizontal hand grips on the vertical portions of the legs, and swivel joints between the vertical portions of the legs and the horizontal cross-body member which permit the movement of the legs relative to one another to allow the user natural motions when walking. The horizontal cross-body member is generally U-shaped in the horizontal plane, connects and is located at the top of the two leg members, and fits under the user""s arms when in use. Swivel joints are located at the connections between the horizontal cross-body member and each of the respective right and left leg members to permit directional rotation in the horizontal or ground plane of the legs, and a swivel joint is located midway through the length of the horizontal cross-body member to permit rotation of the horizontal cross-body member ends with respect to one another.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,113,887, 5,217,033, 5,640,986, 5,862,824, and 6,164,305 all teach two-legged mobility assisting devices that provide assistance to a person in achieving side to side and backward and forward motion while walking.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,277,009 teaches a pair of crutches wherein each crutch provides a two-legged structure with a rocking mount foot rest, an adjustable hand grip position and a padded, swivelable underarm support that allows the user to utilize natural motions when walking.
The known prior art of two-legged walkers, including the above-mentioned patents, does not disclose or teach a two-legged walker which supported by the user""s hand, not under the user""s arms, both lockably rigid and jointed to mimic and support the walking function of the user, capable of multiple modes of use, adjustable in its dimensions to fit the user""s height and needs, and adjustable to support use on stairs.
The instant invention is of a two-legged walker useful as a mobility assisting device that provides assistance to an impaired person while walking.
The primary problems in the prior art addressed by the instant invention are that there is no single device which is a two-legged walker supported by the user""s hand, not under the user""s arms, is both lockably rigid and jointed to mimic and support the walking function of the user, is capable of multiple modes of use, is adjustable in its dimensions to fit the user""s height and needs, and is adjustable to support use on stairs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a two-legged walker.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a two-legged walker which is supported by the user""s hand, not under the user""s arms.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a two-legged walker which is supported by the user""s hand, not under the user""s arms, and is both lockably rigid and jointed to mimic and support the walking function of the user.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a two-legged walker which is supported by the user""s hand, not under the user""s arms, is both lockably rigid and jointed to mimic and support the walking function of the user, and is capable of multiple modes of use.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a two-legged walker which is supported by the user""s hand, not under the user""s arms, is both lockably rigid and jointed to mimic and support the walking function of the user, is capable of multiple modes of use, and is adjustable in its dimensions to fit the user""s height and needs.
It is a yet further and final object of the invention to provide a two-legged walker which is supported by the user""s hand, not under the user""s arms, is both lockably rigid and jointed to mimic and support the walking function of the user, is capable of multiple modes of use, is adjustable in its dimensions to fit the user""s height and needs, and is adjustable to support use on stairs